To The Person Who Broke Into My Car Last Year

I wonder how you’re doing. Especially with the grip of winter tight around our ankles, I’m guessing this time of year must be harder for you. I can make this assumption because the car you desperately were driven to breaking into was mine, a little shabby citroen saxo with dents and scrapes around his edges. Or maybe you couldn’t tell that it was a student’s car until you stumbled through the tidal wave of smoke and piles upon piles of leftover takeaway chips that my friends shove down the sides out of my sight. Nevertheless, I’m sorry you risked so much and found so little.

I noticed how you’d pulled all the tiny compartments out in search of cash. I wonder when you sifted through my CD collection you stopped to admire my music taste or snorted at how invaluable my collection is as it values to about £3.50 nowadays, or if you just rummaged through in a panic to find anything sellable.

I wonder why you didn’t take my iPod. Although it’s possibly one of the oldest models there is and the headphone bit doesn’t work anymore (even after MULTIPLE repairs), that you didn’t just take it anyway.

However, the thing that troubles me the most, is why you returned my stereo.
Unlike my CD collection and iPod, my stereo is undoubtedly worth a bit. Not a lot, just a bit. So at first, when I received the harking phone call off my flat mates that my car had been broken into, in a flurry I blurted “IS MY STEREO OKAY, THOUGH?” to which they replied, “sorry Liv…but it’s gone.”
Could you believe my face when I at last arrived to my car to find that you’d been back and strangely given it back to me?

I still have no idea why you would do this. Return to the scene of the crime and give me back my beloved stereo. I wonder if you pitied me afterwards or if you got too scared or if you realised my stereo isn’t entirely that valuable without my speakers. Regardless, all of these possibilities trouble me as they all point to the evidence that you were desperate and had to do something you didn’t really want to. You had to steal in order to get by. Maybe you have a family that’s struggling or maybe you’re homeless and need a hot meal.

Even as a student I’m lucky enough to be able to pay for a new stereo. So for your sake, I wish you’d of just taken it. I would have gotten over it. You need it more than I do. I’m so ungrateful to all the privileges that I have. I never have to worry about having a home or struggle to have food in front of me. I’ll never have to go against my human nature in order to survive or protect people I love.

So, to the person who broke into my car last year. The stereo is yours.
Thank you for making me realise what a lucky, young girl I am and I hope things get better for you.